New York Knicks Star Jeremy Lin to Undergo Knee Surgery; Out Rest of Regular Season

The young point guard sensation's partially torn meniscus will cost him six more weeks of playing time.

Linsanity will be taking an extended time out.

The New York Knicks announced that Jeremy Lin, the second year point guard who took the league by storm when he became a starter in February, will require surgery to repair the partially torn meniscus in his left knee. The procedure will keep him out six weeks, which covers the remainder of the regular season. The Knicks currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference, with a one and a half game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Our goal was to give it about five to seven days to see how it reacts and see if I can play on it the rest of the season,’’ Lin told reporters about his knee injury, which had kept him out since last Monday's win over Milwaukee. “I knew I had to have surgery at some point - whether it was now or after the end of the season. We did rehab all day (for a week). We did everything we could. Today was the one week mark."

Lin, who was signed by the Knicks in December, seemingly came out of nowhere to propel the team on a seven game winning streak in February. A second year player out of Harvard, he came into the league undrafted but became an instant superstar, earning a spot at All-Star weekend, garnering endorsement deals and igniting the imaginations of Hollywood's biggest Knicks fans.

In his stead, new Knicks coach Mike Woodson -- D'Antoni resigned amidst a losing streak that followed the initial Linsanity -- will try to manage with a cadre of guards, including veterans Mike Bibby, Baron Davis and Toney Douglas, as well as rookie combo guard Iman Shumpert, whose injury at the beginning of the year opened the door for the Knicks to sign Lin in the first place. The team is also missing sar forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who is rehabbing an injured back.